In order to determine whether the New Jersey air concentrations
predicted for the 33 air toxics in USEPAs1996 National-Scale
Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) presented a potential problem
for human health, NJDEPcompared them to their chemical-specific
health benchmarks. To do this, we divided the modeled
air concentration by the health benchmark concentration
to get a number we call a risk ratio. If the risk ratio
for a specific chemical is less than one, the air concentration
does not pose a health risk. If it is greater than one,
it may be of concern. The risk ratio also shows just
how much higher or lower the estimated air concentration
is than the health benchmark.

For more information on health benchmarks, risk assessment,
and health effects of air toxics, click here.

Our preliminary analysis of the state and county average
air toxics concentrations generated by NATA indicates
that 19 of the chemicals were predicted to exceed their
health benchmarks in one or more counties in 1996. 18
of these are cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals,
and one (acrolein) is not carcinogenic. Predicted concentrations
of these 19 pollutants vary around the state, depending
on the type of sources that emit them. This is summarized
in the table below. For more information click on point,
area, and mobile sources, and background
concentrations.

MAPS SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION
OF THE 1996 AIR TOXICS OF CONCERN IN NEW JERSEY

According to the 1996 NATA results, there were 19 pollutants
for which the risk ratios were greater than one, and
therefore, of concern. To look at a state map showing
the spatial variation in modeled air concentrations for
a chemical of concern, click on the chemical name:

To see a table containing the 1996 NATA-predicted air
concentrations, health benchmarks, risk ratios, and source
category contributions for each of the 33 air toxics
analyzed in NATA, click on the state name or county names
below.

Chemicals
with risk ratios greater than one are in blue.
Chemicals in italics are noncarcinogens.
The rest are carcinogens.
ug/m3 is micrograms per cubic meter,
the amount (in micrograms) of a chemical in a cubic
meter of air. This is also known as a concentration.
* 7-PAH is a subset of polycyclic organic matter.
*** For diesel particulate matter, onroad and nonroad
concentrations include a model-estimated background
concentration.